Method of producing fulcrums



Apt. 24, 1923. 1,452,489

C. E. BAUER METHOD 0F PRODUCING FULCRUMS Filed Feb. '7, 1921 Patented Apr. 24,;1923.

, U -[TED srA rEs CARL E; BAUER, or

HAMMOND, INDIANA.

METHOD OF" manna-1m arr-L anne Application filed Februar 7, i921. sea No. 44-21921".

2 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL E. BAUER, aciti- Zen of the United States, and resident of I-Iammond,in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Method of Producing Fulcrums, of Which the following is I a specification. I p

My invention relates to a method of mak ing reversible fulcrums and particularly to a novel forged fulcrum which may be cheaply produced. 3

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a reversible fulcrum which may be economically produced by a forging operation. Reversible fulcrums are required by many railroads in order to accommodate a single fulcrum to right and left hand beams and such fulcrums have heretofore been formed by castin rather than by a forging operation. The (iavice may be more cheaply produced by forging than by a casting operation and the fulcrum here described lends itself to manufacture in a simple manner. It consists fundamentally of a single rectangular bar of uniform cross section and the required length the ends of which are first bent at right angles and in the same direction from the bar. The bar is next flattened at an intermediate point and then doubled on the flattened portion in such manner that the bent ends lie in overlapped relation. The

to weld together the overlapped portions and to square and distribute the metal in order to permit the fulcrum to be received in either of two positions between the flanges of a brake beam channel. The opposite end of the fulcrum is then forged to provide a suit able strong seat for the tension rod.

The novel fulcrum and the method of producing it will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which,

Figs. 1 and 2 are plan and edge views respectively of the blank or bar which is utilized in making the fulcrum of my invention;

Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views showing the next steps in the operation, that of flat tening the center and bending the ends of the bar;

Fig. 5 is an edge view of the bar after it has been doubled on itself; i

Fig. 6 is a view showing the fulcrum after completion and in its operative position;

,Fi-g. 7 is a view was a right anglestd that of Fi of and, p I, I

F1g9' 1s air-end view of the fulcrum after con1pletion din'aryrectangularbar of iron or softste'el.

Fig. 8 is a sectional View 0111 the 1ine88 In the drawings "1t win be seen that a... 1 blank 10, which I employ, consists of an o'r 11, or the ar isjfiaaaiea and the ends 1 2,3

18, are bent at ri'ghtangle's, the portion being somewhat longer the portion-13. in the next operation the bar is doubled on itself, on line substantially midway between the ends, the line of bend being Selectman order that the portions 12, 13, may lie in over-lapped relation, as shown in Fig. 5. Thereafter the bent end portion is suitably heated and the metal caused to flow and be welded together by a forging operation. This results in the formation of a head 14, the

shape of which is best shown in Fig. 9, and

the provision of ribs or reinforcements 15, on the side bars 16, 17. The head is not rectangular in outline as the fulcrum, in order to be reversible, must be turned for reasons well known to those familiar with the subject.

After'the head has been formed the opposite end is suitably heated and forged to produce the saddle 18, for the reception of the truss rod 19. The method of forming the saddle is described and claimed in my 00- Sept. 16, 1920. o

The transverse openings 20 areprovided for the brake rod pin and a longitudinal opening 21 for a fastening pin 22, which passes through the web of the brake beam channel 23. The latter pin may be held in place .by means of a key 24, best shown in Fig. 7.

A fulcrum constructed as described will be found to be very strong and may be cheaply manufactured. Obviously the exact steps herein described need not be followed in detail or in the order named and I do not wish to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making reversible fulcrums which consists in providing a flat blank, bending the ends thereof at right angles, then doubling the blank on itself in such manner that said bent ends are in pending application, Serial, No. 410,722, filed overlapped relation, then forging said overlapped ends and welding said ends together to produce a fulcrum having an angular end adapted to be received in two positions between the flanges of a channel.

2. The method of forging fulcrums which consists in providing a blank, flattening the middle portion of the blank, bending the ends of the blank at right angles, then doubling the blank on itself on the flattened portion, the bent ends lying in overlapped relation, then forging said bent ends to provide a squared portion'adapted to fit in two positions between the flanges of a channel.

3. The method of forging fulcrums which consists in providing a blank, flattening the a middle portion of the blank, bending the ends of the blank at right angles, then doubling the blank on itself on the flattened portion, the bent ends lying in overlapped relation, then forging said bent ends to provide a squared portion adapted to fit in two 4. The method of forming a reversible fulcrum which consists in bending the ends of a bar into substantial parallelism, the bent portions projecting in the same direction from said bar, then doubling the bar on itself at a point sufficiently removed from the middle of the bar to cause said bent ends to overlap, then forging the end of said doubled bar to weld the bent portions together and to square the end.

5. The method of forming a reversible fulcrum whichconsists in bendingthe ends of a bar into substantial parallelism, the bent portionsprojecting in the same direction from said bar, then doubling the bar on itself at a point sufliciently removed from the middle of the bar to cause said I bent ends to overlap, then forging the end of said doubled bar to weld the bent portions together and to square the end, then forging a tension rod seat in the' opposite end of said fulcrum.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 29th day of January, A. 1)., 1.921. a CARL E. BAUER. 

